I was just coming in here to try to remember how I'd phrased that before!
Yeah, the best summaries in my experience a) tell you what the story is about, but b) very concisely (like, 2-3 sentences AT MOST) and c) leave you wanting to know what happens next.
The joke setup is sort of the best way I could come up with to conceptualize that. (Also good models: elevator pitch, movie logline - you don't want the summary on the back of the book, you want the summary in the TV channel guide.)
Absolute worst kind: a song lyric or poem quote. Tells you nothing about what the story is about, *or* the voice or writing style. Second worst: A summary that's actually an author's note.
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Yeah, the best summaries in my experience a) tell you what the story is about, but b) very concisely (like, 2-3 sentences AT MOST) and c) leave you wanting to know what happens next.
The joke setup is sort of the best way I could come up with to conceptualize that. (Also good models: elevator pitch, movie logline - you don't want the summary on the back of the book, you want the summary in the TV channel guide.)
Absolute worst kind: a song lyric or poem quote. Tells you nothing about what the story is about, *or* the voice or writing style. Second worst: A summary that's actually an author's note.